December 4, 2024
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PLEASE NOTE - The location of our event has now moved to St Michael The Archangel Church in Newquay due to the weather. The address is St Michael's Rd, Newquay, TR7 1RA.
The Women’s Centre Cornwall Invites the Community to Reclaim The Night: Honouring Lives Lost to Male Violence and Demanding Safety and Freedom for Women and Girls
The Women’s Centre Cornwall is calling on people across Cornwall to stand in solidarity for women whose lives have been lost to male violence, and to join in the demand for safety and freedom for all women and girls. This year marks the centre’s 20th annual Reclaim The Night event, which will take place on December 6th from 6:00 pm at the Killacourt bandstand in Newquay.
Reclaim The Night is an opportunity for the community to connect, reflect and take action toward creating a future in which women and girls can live free from violence and oppression.
In the UK and worldwide, violence against women and girls remains an urgent human rights crisis, with one in three women experiencing sexual or domestic abuse in their lifetime. In Cornwall alone, more than 5,300 women endure domestic abuse annually, and approximately 2,500 women face rape or sexual assault. Additionally, over 10,000 local women statistically fall among the one in 20 women who are subjected to repeated abuse, both in childhood and then again as adults.
In the lead-up to Reclaim The Night, The Women’s Centre Cornwall will launch the #UprootingMisogyny campaign on November 25th, coinciding with the start of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. This initiative invites people to take a stand against the misogyny that fuels a culture of disrespect, abuse, and violence toward women and girls.
The evening will begin with a candlelit vigil to honour the lives of women and children taken by male violence across the UK this year. Each woman will be remembered with a candle and a flower. Community members are encouraged to bring flowers to lay at the vigil, along with torches, fairy lights, or anything to illuminate the collective presence of the march as they take up space in Newquay.
The program will feature:
• Live music by Angeline Morrison and Holly Anne Coles
• Spoken word poetry from women who have accessed support through The Women’s Centre Cornwall
• Dance performance by KBSK Performing Arts
• Guest speeches by survivor activist Viv Gordon and young women from the Young Empowered Women’s Project
Following the vigil, women will join in a peaceful women’s march through the streets of Newquay, sending a powerful message against harassment, abuse and misogyny.
Jackie May, CEO of The Women’s Centre Cornwall, says: “We are inviting our community once again to come together to take action to uproot the misogyny that sits at the foundation of a culture of disrespect, abuse, and violence towards women and girls. This year marks our 20th Reclaim The Night event in Cornwall, and our message remains the same: we do not consent to living in a society in which we are not safe, respected, and free in every space. Bring your friends, family, voice, flowers, lights, and banners as we create warmth, make noise, and take up space in Newquay.”
This wheelchair-accessible event is open to all, including children. While there may be strong language, all are welcome to join the vigil and performances. Men and boys are encouraged to stand with us in solidarity, although the march will be women-only to honour the origins of Reclaim The Night.
Hot drinks and a safe space will be provided by The Roasting Room, which is generously sponsoring the event for the third consecutive year.
The Women’s Centre Cornwall provides free, specialised support for women across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Eastwood Park Prison. The charity, run by women for women, offers an empowering, women-centred approach to the healing journey.
For more information and updates, follow The Women’s Centre Cornwall on Facebook, @womenscentrecornwall on Instagram, or search #ReclaimTheNightCornwall and #UprootingMisogyny.
ENDS
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